tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83243778828865039062024-03-13T08:41:04.993-04:00Two Special Girls"The will of God will never take me where the Grace of God will not protect me!"Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-88078696774955758862011-04-17T15:34:00.002-04:002011-04-17T15:45:21.003-04:00Frustration... again:0(Okay, so I know I've again become a blogging slacker. Guess having anywhere from one to 4 extra kids in the house everyday takes up so much more of my time! (and my mind;0) Things have been going fairly well here. That is until the phone call I received this past Friday afternoon at 5:15PM. When I looked at the caller ID, my heart kinda sank. I knew it probably wouldn't be a good conversation once I picked up the line. Despite that sinking feeling in my tummy, I went ahead & answered the phone... "Tina, this is <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Maresa</span> at Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto's</span> office. We were wondering if it would be okay to push <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nevaeh's</span> heart <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">cath</span> back until May 26<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>." "Are you kidding me?!" This was my exact response to her question. Of course she answered yes. "We've had an emergency case come in & Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span> was wondering if we could re-schedule <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nevaeh's</span>" I'm pretty sure she could sense the frustration & disbelief in my voice as I explained that Jon had <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">alreay</span> scheduled off work. I had already re-arranged things for my schedule, as well as Gabie's. She seemed kind of taken aback as she told me that she would check with Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span> about keeping her on the schedule. She told me she would call me back. I'm currently waiting on that return phone call... <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">grrr</span>! I don't think that hospitals or doctor's office staff truly understand how frustrating it is to have to reschedule things. I really do understand that there are emergencies... <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span> has been bumped twice when on the schedule for open heart surgeries. But this one really <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">perturbed</span> me. Seriously, you wait to call a family of a child having a cardiac <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">catheterization</span> in the coming week on Friday afternoon, basically after business hours? If its such an emergency, then why can it wait a week & why isn't the first procedure of the day being bumped instead of us? Not to mention, we have to come from 90 miles south of your facility for this procedure... not just a 20 minute drive across town. So, I'm hoping that Monday morning brings news that won't totally <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">disappoint</span> me or stress me out for another month waiting on this to be done. You would think there would be some better organization, here. Sorry for the quick vent, but this is the life of a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">CHD</span> momma! Hope everyone else is doing well! I'll post all the fun details when I get them:0/Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-31491994654214248892011-03-18T15:48:00.002-04:002011-03-18T15:56:22.100-04:00We are scheduled...I feel so out of practice. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Vaeh's</span> cardiologist's office called yesterday when I wasn't at home, so I called back to schedule today. I had been praying that we would be able to do this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">cath</span> at the hospital Dr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Butto</span> is based at, but I found out today that it has to be at another hospital, across town, which we have had some trouble with how they've treated <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Vaeh</span> in the past.<br />She is scheduled for noon on Thursday, April 21st. We're not sure yet when she will have to go in for her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pre</span>-op testing, possibly the Wednesday before. But knowing that she is the afternoon case, I'm hoping that we will be able to do it the same day... but I'm not holding my breath:0/<br />I've had a flood of emotions already with this one & its only been scheduled for a few hours. I think knowing that he may balloon her pulmonary arteries has me a bit more on edge... its always such a difficult process for him to get access to her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">PA's</span> (thanks to that lovely <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">octopus</span> in her chest that's comprised of her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">PA's</span>). The last time she had ballooning, it was a marathon 4 hour <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">cath</span>... ugh.<br />It does work out that Gabie will be out of school those days for spring break, so that at least takes one thing off the "to do" list. I just don't like having to explain this to my 4 year old... she's getting to big & understands now. Let the fun begin :0/Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-80587016052629045112011-03-15T22:10:00.002-04:002011-03-15T22:33:32.091-04:00Upcoming...So we returned for Vaeh's follow up visit with Dr. Butto yesterday. She was first on the list, so we buzzed right in & right through, until we had to wait for Meghan ;0) She's one of the gals that does the echos & she is fabulous w/ Vaeh:0) The echo went well, with Vaeh actually cooperating quite well through the entire thing (usually she starts to get a bit squirmy toward the end) Believe it or not, the little stinker actually grew about 1/16th of an inch & gained a half a pound in 4 weeks... wow! At this rate, she's gonna be 7 foot tall! Okay, maybe not quite that tall but she can slow down a bit in the growth dept! She's even been asking about when her teeth will begin to fall out... ya know, since Sissy is loosing her teeth;0)<br />Dr. Butto came it to look at her echo & said that "in effect" nothing has changed! Her pressures have remained the same even without the revatio. He had actually expected them to spike a bit, he told me later. Everything looked great! I then had to ask the looming question... are we looking at a heart cath? I think that Dr. Butto wasn't feeling the greatest, because he gave me a somewhat blank stare. Then he told me we would go back to the clinic in Lima in 2 months, & we'll do another heart cath between now & then. So, sometime next month we'll be heading into old familiar territory.<br />Its been 2 years since Vaeh has had to have anything done, so this is gonna be a strange experience. Although since this is number 7... we'll probably slip back into it like riding a bike - unfortunately :0/ I'm really dreading having to explain things to her this time, since she is old enough to understand so much more than the last time she had to have anything done. I am praying that it is able to be done at our favorite hospital... I know it will be a much better experience there:0)<br />For now, we just enjoy life without meds. No more syringes sitting by the sink, ready to give her meds (for the first time in over 4 years, I have my counter top back:0)). And we wait to see when this next round is scheduled for...Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-11789115475397139272011-03-09T16:37:00.009-05:002011-03-09T21:19:03.961-05:00Winter Fun!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2USvdNd-iQOa1gNBWlBUBSzEsQyDoELhMt2EEwa9c5w1BxUIRdTDjzuhMkXvS7GYdzbzKMa7unSY7fVnctzaz9n8iWCT-c-v6tBSKJlcMUWz30c99dV3WlNieLeaUNsfK0IC731HL4U/s1600/DSC_0293.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582198142710093762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2USvdNd-iQOa1gNBWlBUBSzEsQyDoELhMt2EEwa9c5w1BxUIRdTDjzuhMkXvS7GYdzbzKMa7unSY7fVnctzaz9n8iWCT-c-v6tBSKJlcMUWz30c99dV3WlNieLeaUNsfK0IC731HL4U/s320/DSC_0293.JPG" /></a><br /><div><br />Isn't she just adorable?! Okay, okay. So I'm a very biased opinion here - LoL! This photo is from a couple of weeks ago when the kids had a snow day on a Friday. This was followed by another unexpected day off on Monday due to flooding. We had gotten about 7 inches of snow on Thursday night/Friday morning, which was followed by a spring-like warm up with a couple of inches of rain. All of the melting snow followed by 2.5 inches of rain = lots of water! This is what we had to deal with on Friday (which the kids thoroughly enjoyed, I might add!)... </div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Cm_0GKWu_ADWkcEGx2N1uhrherYHwmDy-Ratkiv7Yz1SQHVyB75M97SYuBVy2DYwTjSG0shDjd3vAEE8BJzWEqBOVIzKEWXnhwUKB3kOB1FiDR1QCynbwEYt5go8PozdeCXKFr6oRJk/s1600/DSC_0271.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582210481228178562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Cm_0GKWu_ADWkcEGx2N1uhrherYHwmDy-Ratkiv7Yz1SQHVyB75M97SYuBVy2DYwTjSG0shDjd3vAEE8BJzWEqBOVIzKEWXnhwUKB3kOB1FiDR1QCynbwEYt5go8PozdeCXKFr6oRJk/s320/DSC_0271.JPG" /></a><br /><div>And this is what we had to deal with on the following Monday...<br /></div><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeqo9W1b-19bTPgElz4TJQJvyqAxDZUBLrsk2mtxHaz2DsT0wK_9G3Y3QR-J56tdxZXi9qKW09tQPLSDMSaKDtqnnN5IV5YAuL_vzf01y9JgDI9m_S0N4Z-IrhcdVtjbcfo1I2soQbxg/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582209823892972642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeqo9W1b-19bTPgElz4TJQJvyqAxDZUBLrsk2mtxHaz2DsT0wK_9G3Y3QR-J56tdxZXi9qKW09tQPLSDMSaKDtqnnN5IV5YAuL_vzf01y9JgDI9m_S0N4Z-IrhcdVtjbcfo1I2soQbxg/s320/DSC_0042.JPG" /></a><br />This was taken at our high school's football practice field. You can see the 'sleds' they use for tackle practice halfway under water. Thankfully we live far enough away from the river that we weren't affected. My in-laws were a bit closer to the action...</div><br /><div></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXu0R4Y7xzDDHZDh3HNcnFtruyUu_BITKy1AM5KxsTA8zQfJRolipa5hdoCIW48ZNDpU_cDVnMjP4BGJF2UVnv6BPrAd9wBglM7WehfNbFAadIZy7PWGtX3dnRsDjGtgW6g4v9uPSBgKY/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582217792092256418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXu0R4Y7xzDDHZDh3HNcnFtruyUu_BITKy1AM5KxsTA8zQfJRolipa5hdoCIW48ZNDpU_cDVnMjP4BGJF2UVnv6BPrAd9wBglM7WehfNbFAadIZy7PWGtX3dnRsDjGtgW6g4v9uPSBgKY/s320/DSC_0031.JPG" /></a> Their house is just on the other side of that large evergreen tree on the right side of the photo. Quite the change over the course of a couple days, huh?! Gotta love Ohio weather... okay, well you don't have to love it, just deal with it if you live here!<br /><div>So this particular Friday, we were actually able to get outside & enjoy some snow time & the girls were able to build their first...</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6ArnWmJpORRVsjXB-IslQyIgNn0nb2p-nCT2RxZDeqRVqlP0o1RwJKv5Tvqcu2cIUmy6Cfhn-It_TkLVr-9iQs8G4YyIR-gziX-OJy8TisYT0sf8tYWpYh0y2U7tekHyX7f99cxj94U/s1600/DSC_0336.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582200665577444402" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6ArnWmJpORRVsjXB-IslQyIgNn0nb2p-nCT2RxZDeqRVqlP0o1RwJKv5Tvqcu2cIUmy6Cfhn-It_TkLVr-9iQs8G4YyIR-gziX-OJy8TisYT0sf8tYWpYh0y2U7tekHyX7f99cxj94U/s320/DSC_0336.JPG" /></a><br />snow-bear?<br />She started out as a snowman, but this snow was so wet & dense, that the moment you picked it up it hardened! We had to mold this lovely instead of rolling her, so we added a few touches here & there... bam! Our first "snow-bear"! The girls both had a great day & enjoyed themselves playing outside. Especially since it was the first time they'd been out all winter:0)<br /><br />Since that day of fun in the white stuff, we've had, ah-hem, a "nice" couple of days bonding with the couch. Vaeh started off early Thursday morning, around 1:50am, throwing up. She was up all night repeating the same. Gabie got up around 3 & didn't fall back asleep until around 4:30am. I was debating keeping her home from school, when she made the decision for me. She followed her sister's game plan & started throwing up around 6:30. So, thus began my day of consoling my girls while they were not feeling so hot. Gabie ended up with a long weekend, missing school both Thursday & Friday. They both did pretty well on Saturday, until early Sunday morning when Gabie decided she wanted just a bit more attention;0) She had me up around 2 on Sunday, but was pretty good the rest of the day. So Monday morning rolls around & I figured we're finally back on track... WRONG! Vaeh decided to get sick one last time when she got out of bed... UGH!!! Guess she figured she needed a couple more days at home with Momma!<br />She finally headed back to school this morning & was ecstatic! As an added bonus to her return to school, her teacher also returned! Mrs. Raymond had been out a couple of weeks after she took a fall outside of the school one day when it was icy... & subsequently broke her nose! She's finally back on the mend & was in class today:0)<br /><br />So next Monday marks our two week anniversary with NO MEDS! Vaeh has been doing quite well. There really haven't been any major changes with dropping the meds. I do find myself looking rather closely at things... does she look a bit dusky? Are her lips/nail beds purple? It stinks, because it really has me second guessing everything that she's been doing lately. Then tonight at supper, my Mom remembered to tell me that last night she & Vaeh were running to catch up to Gabie (Mom took the girls to Gabie's roller skating party for school since it was MY turn bonding with the couch:0/) & Vaeh told her the "I can't breathe." Wha...??? She said she recovered very quickly, & really didn't seem phased by it at all. She's been fine since. So now its a moment of "do I call the cardio or just wait since she's scheduled to see him in 5 days?"<br /><br />After thinking about it, we'll probably just wait until Monday for her appointment since she's been doing fine other than that one, isolated incident. I'm praying that her appointment goes well & if we schedule a cath, that it will be soon!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-56151326192297371082011-02-27T21:48:00.003-05:002011-02-27T22:43:01.481-05:00MilestonesWhen it comes to kids, there are so many milestones. There are the 'typical' ones that all parents look forward to: the first smile, sitting up, pulling up to stand, walking, amongst others. Each one is such an exciting experience in the life of a child. Both for the child & for the parents! Its something I always worried I would miss with Gabie. Some I did, but a lot of them I was blessed to be able to see! Her first steps, just before her first birthday, we were actually able to catch on video... I still tear up a bit when I see it ;0)<br /><br />The night <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nevaeh</span> was born, I was running all of the 'typical' milestones through my mind. I can't wait to see her roll over, stand up, walk. Unfortunately when she was about 12 hours old, those milestones took a back seat to a new set: upcoming surgeries, procedures, medications & doctors visits. Once a child, a family in fact, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">embarks</span> on their journey in this crazy world of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">CHD's</span>, things take a much different path. Our journey included changing <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh's</span> feeding tube & learning how to feed her with it, monitoring her oxygen & giving her O2 via a cannula, and MANY medications. Those medications began within the first day of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nevaeh's</span> life. At one point she was on as many as 14 different medications every 2 hours beginning at 6 AM and ending at midnight. I would have syringes lined up at the sink for each of her different medicines and dosages, and a list taped to the cupboard so that other family members that came to help could keep track.<br /><br />One by one, we were able to take away a syringe when the doctors decided to discontinue one of her medications. As time passed, the line up of those syringes became smaller. Its been a couple of years ago now that we were able to stop her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">lasix</span>. That left her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">revatio</span> (aka: <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">viagra</span>) which she was on for her Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Of course, she also has her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">nebulizer</span> treatments that we still have to do <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">prn</span> (as needed), but the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">revatio</span> is the only regular, oral medication she has been on since her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">lasix</span> was stopped.<br /><br />She started this medication almost exactly two years ago, to the day (toward the end of February 2009). When she started taking it, we had quite a time getting the approval for it as it is quite an expensive drug. Then once we got the approval, we found out that for the first six months, the pharmacy had been dispensing an incorrect dosage - half of what she was supposed to be getting! That was not a fun experience to go through, but we were finally able to get her on the correct dosage. It was about six months ago that we began to lower that dosage since her PA pressures had begun to come down. The hope was that if we could get her pressures to come down & stay down, without the medicine we could stop it.<br /><br />Back in November, we again lowered her dosage for the second time to 2<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">mL's</span> ( half of the beginning dose). On February 14<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, we again saw <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh's</span> cardiologist for a follow up. Again, her pressures had maintained at a low enough level that Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span> said to lower her to 1<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">mL</span> for two weeks, & then... are you ready for it?!<br /><br /><br /><br />STOP HER MEDICATION!!!!!! Yep, that's right! We are going to stop <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh's</span> very LAST medication. I am sitting here in the living room, waiting for 11 PM to roll around so that I can give this...<br /><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2bTcQE-e4RFLm58hTqEHY42mMVrLKU11dIiiwD72Jdh7_pNRdQRnfUQlIGQMKHeRwvruwJ99YP9X9IiomLC4UIwGIAY39OMW0Na4pw3E73NcF1HWh6wvyhPXH0F47cuVEHIp87LdRMs/s1600/DSC_0259.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578577740381439426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit2bTcQE-e4RFLm58hTqEHY42mMVrLKU11dIiiwD72Jdh7_pNRdQRnfUQlIGQMKHeRwvruwJ99YP9X9IiomLC4UIwGIAY39OMW0Na4pw3E73NcF1HWh6wvyhPXH0F47cuVEHIp87LdRMs/s320/DSC_0259.JPG" /></a> for the LAST time!! </p><p>This last dose of her medication begins a "first" for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nevaeh</span>... this will be the very first time in her life, other than the first 12 hours of her life, that little Miss V has not been required to take any medication!!! I am going to be able to go to bed at 8 PM if I want & not have to stay up so that I have to wake her up to give her some nasty tasting medicine... WOO <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">HOOOO</span>!!</p><p>She is scheduled to go back to see Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span> again on March 14<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span> for a follow up visit/echo to check her pressures without the medication. Then we'll probably head for a trip to the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">cath</span> lab to get a true measurement of her pressures off the medicine. Beyond that, I'm not sure what life is going to hold for our <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">CHD</span> warrior! </p><p>I am so looking forward to this next stage of life for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span>. Of course, we will always have to watch her, always have to see Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span>, always be on the look out for anything abnormal. That is the life of a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">CHD</span> child. Maybe we will be able to go longer than 3 months between visits. Maybe six months or, dare I say it? A year?! We'll just have to wait to see what this next chapter holds for us!</p><p><br /> </p>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-53258635062261367982011-02-10T22:37:00.002-05:002011-02-10T23:00:57.199-05:00NervesUsually I don't get too nervous when it comes to Vaeh's appointments. I don't really remember being any bit nervous with her last appointment back in November. Its just become such a routine thing, if you can imagine that in this world of CHD.<br />But the past couple of days, those pesky nerves have been creeping their way back into my head. Vaeh's got a cardiology appointment coming up... during the last appointment he said that we would be heading to the cath lab probably in the spring.... are her pressures going to be better this time, too? Will they have gotten worse & he'll want to go to the cath lab sooner? Will he want to wean her off the drugs completely this time, or in another step? There's always such questions that crop up with these appointments. I know that every heart parent goes through these emotions/questions with any doctor appointment that comes along, even if their child has been doing absolutely wonderful!<br />I was sitting in the dining room with my Mom tonight discussing my nerves as the girls sat at the table cutting paper. One of Vaeh's favorite things to do is to cut paper... its her "homework" she tells me! I told my Mom how its so easy for me to slip into that "everything is fine" mode. Vaeh looks the picture of health these days. She plays with her sister & other kids, she goes to preschool four days a week. She lives each day of her life to the fullest... all the while being a child who lives with a CHD.<br />Its hard not to let my mind wander back to the days when I worried every day if she would survive. I used to check her in her crib several times a night to make sure she was still breathing. (Occasionally I still peak in on her just to be sure...) Here lately I even worry about her complaining of her leg hurting. Is it growing pains? Is it something vascular? Since we have a fairly significant family history with blood clots, & she's had some difficulty with that, that one crops up pretty regularly. When we do go back to the cath lab, will it be just a routine cath or is he going to come out & say that she needs another OHS soon? I really hate this.<br />I know that her appointment is going to go well! I have to believe that, or otherwise I think I would drive myself crazy. I know we're going to breeze through this one because she's doing so well! I just like to 'vent' my crazy feeling from time to time... so thanks for letting the blow whole let loose! LoL<br />Praying everyone is doing well! Remember to promote awareness this CHD Awareness week & always!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-26830685376287454012011-01-21T11:15:00.003-05:002011-01-21T11:46:43.504-05:00JunkiesSo, my hope for going through the winter unscathed by illness was dashed last weekend. Miss Vaeh had been coughing a bit, but nothing out of the ordinary. Considering there are 4 to 7 other kiddos here on any given day & she attends pre-school 4 days a week, she's been exposed to everything under the sun.<br /><br />After a hefty coughing spell she ended up vomiting. Then the fever arrived... ugh. So last Sunday we took Miss V to urgent care for a chest x-ray to make sure it wasn't our 'friend' pneumonia. Thankfully, he has remained on vacation! (I hope he does permanently!) The doctor who was working in urgent care that day had actually worked out at UCLA in pediatric cardiology for a while, so he knew exactly what was going on with Vaeh's heart, so he was very understanding of my concern. After having the x-ray & a swab to rule out influenza, we had scripts in hand & were on our way home with a diagnosis of "asthmatic bronchitis."<br /><br />Because of this round of "sickies" as they are known in our house, our buddy made a re-appearance:<br /><p><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PZd1j2M6kKiSznY9_awMWm2mKboXxvZcJo2PaUYLHGDFPzUi4A2uRMNMzTwKWCqLjvKoV7zjb79oK5bLVYfYPxKHxnUkSLGq3Vl0whNHkQuyxImxDtVe-XxI2m6QOA-ERQtYGWs3RnE/s1600/IMG_4756.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5564677964235379042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PZd1j2M6kKiSznY9_awMWm2mKboXxvZcJo2PaUYLHGDFPzUi4A2uRMNMzTwKWCqLjvKoV7zjb79oK5bLVYfYPxKHxnUkSLGq3Vl0whNHkQuyxImxDtVe-XxI2m6QOA-ERQtYGWs3RnE/s320/IMG_4756.JPG" /></a><br />Its been at least a year since we've had to use our friend, but thankfully Miss Vaeh hasn't forgotten him! She still holds it right up to her nose, after of course helping to put the meds into the cup & turn it on! After a week of neb treatments & an antibiotic, Vaeh sounds much better. She's still coughing a bit, but is almost back to 100%.</p><p>School was a "no go" for this week for Vaeh & Gabie was home one day & able to sleep in 2 other days due to ice/snow. Now starts the make up schedule for the kids. Vaeh won't have any make up days, but if anymore days are missed they will have to be made up at the end of the year. So, we'll see how far into June the kids actually go...</p><p>With CHD Awareness Day/Week coming up, a couple of other heart mom's that live here in our town & I are trying to get something in our local papers. There are 2 that we're trying for & today I am supposed to do an interview with one I'll try to put up a link to the articles if I can! How are all of you going to 'celebrate' CHD day?! Vaeh & I are planning a great day, including a trip to the cardiologist! What a great day to see her heart doctor, huh?! I'm hoping that our plan continues: weaning the revatio & then a trip to the cath lab. I'm guessing that sometime at the end of May, beginning of June is when we are heading in there. I'm hoping that we are able to get things scheduled around both dance recitals this year! The girls put so much work into dance that I don't want either of them to miss out on their special day! </p><p>Hope everyone is doing well! Thanks for checking in on us!</p>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-11008085073076837452010-11-19T22:53:00.003-05:002010-11-19T23:34:46.041-05:00Okay, lets try this again...So I am horrible. That's an undisputed fact! The reason I am horrible.... its been two months & 3 days since I last posted. No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. No, I haven't forgotten about any of my bloggy friends - in fact, I truly miss you all terribly! I have been keeping tabs on our extended family:0)<br /><br />The past couple of months have been quite busy for us here. We've had some things going on that really had me a bit stressed & just not feeling very "bloggy" myself. Well, so as not to bore you all with the details, things are looking up! I'm in a much better frame of mind & am going to make a real attempt at keeping this blog updated in a much more efficient manner! My schedule is smoothing out now. I've been babysitting for about a year & a half for a couple that we go to church with. I've since gained three other little boys in addition to the first little guy that I've been watching & now his sister, too! At any given time I can have as little as one extra kiddo up to 4 to 6 extra kids in the house! Its taken some getting used to, but is quite fun! Its been really good for Vaeh to have other kids here to play with & interact with... not to mention having to share! That's been a good lesson for all the kids to learn.<br /><br />Speaking of little Miss... she is GREAT!!! I'm sure some of you have seen on facebook, but we had our quarterly date with Dr. Butto. We were able to lower her revatio after her last appointment since her pressures were coming down. At this appointment, everything was right on the mark! She's almost 37 lbs, & just shy of 38 inches. Her blood pressure & O2 sats were nearly perfect (she had a bit of a stuffy nose, so her sats were a tad off that perfect mark). Then came the echo. Miss thing was in rare form for this one. She has done fabulous with them since after her 3rd open heart. Sitting very still, being cooperative. Not this time. Someone was a bit of a squirmy thing & the "troublemaker" showed herself again! Just bringing back memories :0) She didn't cry or anything, but she goofed off quite a bit during the echo this time. Even when Dr. Butto came in to see her.<br /><br />Usually they have difficulty seeing the PA's on echo, but this time pretty much everything was a bit difficult to visualize. Despite the trouble she gave them, things still are looking great! Her valve looks good (no leakage), & her pressures.... CONTINUE TO COME DOWN!!! So, knowing that, he gave the okay to again lower her revatio to 2 mL every 8 hours! The plan as of right now is to return in 3 months (Feb. 14th) for another follow up with a trip to the cath lab in the spring. The way Dr. Butto voiced it was that he wants to have her off the meds before we go in for the cath so that he can get a true reading for her pressures.<br /><br />I was so excited after her appointment, even with the knowledge of a return trip to the cath lab. That excitement escalated when I realized that when we get her off of the revatio, Vaeh will be on ABSOLUTELY NO MEDICATION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!! I won't know what to do?! I'm already "bored" with things now. Don't get me wrong, I love being bored. But looking back to when we were first told of her defect, & with all of the scares we had in the first year of her life, to think that we are in a place where she will need NO MEDICATION is just amazing! Again, another miracle for our baby! This little girl never ceases to amaze me :0)<br /><br />I hope all of you are doing well! As the weather turns cold, I pray that you all stay safe & warm! Chat with you all soon!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-78658830506264769422010-09-16T22:00:00.000-04:002010-09-16T22:40:41.338-04:00GeeshYep, its official. I am a MAJOR slacker! I know, I know... there's no excuse, sorry :0). I guess I've just been in a funk when it comes to blogging. Its the only explanation I can offer. I have been checking in on all of you, I promise! I just haven't been in a commenting mood. There's been some 'behind the scenes' stuff going on here (that I won't bore you all with) & I'm trying not to focus on that! On to the good stuff! When it comes to the girls, everything has been wonderful!<br /><br />We've actually had a fairly busy summer. We got to spend quite a few afternoons in the swimming pool! Gabie loved swimming last summer, but Miss Vaeh really didn't get much of a chance as she would turn blue rather quickly. This summer she tolerated the water so much better... and it turns out, she's quite a fish! My in-laws have an above ground pool, so we used it quite a bit. Gabie is now tall enough to touch on her 'tippy-toes' so she was all about "swimming on her own!" Miss Vaeh wanted in the water just as much as her big sister. So with a floaty suit (has a built in flotation in it) & arm floaties, she went for broke! She was all over the pool & even falling off of rafts that were floating. Getting her head wet - all the way under! I am such a proud Momma!<br /><br />Vaeh did go back to see Dr. Butto at the end of June & had a spectacular appointment! She has grown a whole inch & gained 2lbs in 4 months! So funny to see such a weight gain when it wasn't that long ago that we were worried she wouldn't gain any! She's quite a tall, muscular girl! Her echo was great! It showed that her pressures were down from (@last visit in Feb.) 55-60 to 45-50. So, based on those numbers dropping... we're weaning her OFF the revatio!! I was absolutely floored! I had really prepared myself that she was going to be on that for quite some time. Not the first time my Momma gut failed me - keep reading;0)<br /><br />We asked about putting her in dance & if there were any restrictions we should let the dance instructor know about. I have to admit that my brain still hasn't really comprehended what he said, but "tell them to treat her like a normal kid with a normal heart!" I was almost knocked off my rocker, so to speak. I think it really caught me off guard because a huge theme with kids with CHD's is that they have such restrictions, & for her cardiologist to use the term "normal" with regard to my daughter... lets just say I never thought he would use those two in the same sentence! He has told us in the past (right after she was born prior to her first OHS) that she will have restrictions when she is older, but for now "normal" is what we're taking!<br /><br />This appointment Daddy was able to go since he was on vacation. Right before we left, he asked Dr. Butto if we were looking at a heart cath any time in the near future (my Momma gut had been telling me that a cath may be coming soon). The good doctor told us, basically "if its not broke, don't fix it"! Again, the 'Momma gut' was wrong... much to my delight! So, nothing big is in site for Miss Vaeh for quite some time! We do have to go back to see him in November to see how her pressures are doing with the lowered dose of revatio & hopefully we can drop it again! I don't know what I'll do if we get to the point of NO meds... I'll be lost! LoL :0)<br /><br /><br />Now fast forward to the first week of September... BOTH my girls are in school! Miss Gabie started first grade in a brand new building this year, & Miss Vaeh is back at her pre-school, actually in a classroom spot. So instead of going only one day a week, she goes 4 days a week & sees her PT one day! So I actually get regular time alone... all to myself! I'm not sure what to do with myself yet:0)<br /><br /><br />They also both started dance this week! Gabie is so glad to be back in lessons & I think would perform a recital tomorrow if I'd let her:0) Miss Vaeh is in love with dance! She loved her first class & is such a performer! I think Miss Renee (their teacher) is going to have her hands full!<br /><br />So there's the "catch up" post! I know it was kinda all over the place, & WAY over due. I am going to force myself to get out of this funk & make an attempt at posting on a more regular basis! Please don't hold it against me if I don't, though;0) I promise to try to post some photos of all this craziness that's been keeping me distracted from my blogging. Thanks for checking back... praying all of you are doing well! I promise more to come... soon:0)Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-89668888823028301392010-06-06T11:34:00.005-04:002010-06-06T12:24:26.350-04:00Beautiful Dancer!<div align="left">Kids grow up way too fast. That reality hit me smack dab in the nose this weekend. Even thought Gabie has been in kindergarten, & even <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span> in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">pre</span>-school one day a week, it hadn't really sunk in. There's something about seeing your daughter in make up that changes your perception...<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP0EOcUVRPsLi4rpIoCgZLPl_y-UCKydx4gqiOKMkKE64mbNmUXH1mymdqhs4DLx6CwBXfLryosQKQiLDGhOQlZAvMwVCiRcbzkTe4Xqds1cLMvrnqEKuEGoOTp0x63eKaN6E3SPJigM/s1600/IMG_3967.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479685290029633634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKP0EOcUVRPsLi4rpIoCgZLPl_y-UCKydx4gqiOKMkKE64mbNmUXH1mymdqhs4DLx6CwBXfLryosQKQiLDGhOQlZAvMwVCiRcbzkTe4Xqds1cLMvrnqEKuEGoOTp0x63eKaN6E3SPJigM/s320/IMG_3967.JPG" /></a><br />This is Miss Gabie in the holding room before her recital began this weekend. Isn't she just adorable?! (Notice the TWO teeth missing! She pulled the second one last Saturday... again, all by herself! Yet another sign she's growing up WAY too fast!)Now just so you know, she will NOT be wearing make up on a regular basis for a very long time! This was just for the performance:0)<br /><br />I asked her if she was nervous on the way up to the recital, & she said "No. I'm just going to do what you told me: do what Miss Renee said!" She was only in one number for this, her first year. But to watch her on stage, you would have thought she'd been dancing for at least a couple of years! The smile was there, she sang along with the song & did her steps perfectly!! (Yes, I am just a bit biased;0)) Here she is on stage...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbCa_DG8M3KpD7U2wDK-vxSVYyg2qrjHiR_hEIROBMJFrhFGwH_Qwlb-Yt1lLy304kN4_DNC_mcSzQB8En6whgi00yvDoviuly0aFqqvZCXGQy94fUmKUuHcznpuisViESQqnrTADAEc/s1600/IMG_3981.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479685301389853874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbCa_DG8M3KpD7U2wDK-vxSVYyg2qrjHiR_hEIROBMJFrhFGwH_Qwlb-Yt1lLy304kN4_DNC_mcSzQB8En6whgi00yvDoviuly0aFqqvZCXGQy94fUmKUuHcznpuisViESQqnrTADAEc/s320/IMG_3981.JPG" /> <p align="center"></a><br />Isn't she beautiful?! (Again, just a bit biased!)<br /><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5uvO__DfXNFu9FQ4yTFUa6Mb4VR4SbFJcWSiAr-g_ec_fwx4XQ6x3Ya7MKf6Lj2NvUt545w4d0si8lYwJlwsm8OG2YAAklK6anIkmWXRDSvS78qAyyxikiUy6gPAvn6NicA3j94KgxU/s1600/IMG_3983.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479693721625841314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5uvO__DfXNFu9FQ4yTFUa6Mb4VR4SbFJcWSiAr-g_ec_fwx4XQ6x3Ya7MKf6Lj2NvUt545w4d0si8lYwJlwsm8OG2YAAklK6anIkmWXRDSvS78qAyyxikiUy6gPAvn6NicA3j94KgxU/s320/IMG_3983.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1YswYHSfhW6CjFN2tO4Y5ymk_NY4PkcNJuGl9d8WZnl_LfruKlsOdNviBNMB6RScGxCqsMNpgxcEb1pgKvbQxE8wEjL8GBv1IlZIvj6RnL9Fuv7CP-E6AUOEMx2hTTGqYc7gawN5NfE/s1600/IMG_3977.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479693712464037554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1YswYHSfhW6CjFN2tO4Y5ymk_NY4PkcNJuGl9d8WZnl_LfruKlsOdNviBNMB6RScGxCqsMNpgxcEb1pgKvbQxE8wEjL8GBv1IlZIvj6RnL9Fuv7CP-E6AUOEMx2hTTGqYc7gawN5NfE/s320/IMG_3977.JPG" /></a><br /><br />It was so much fun watching Gabie blossom into a little dancer this year! Now the fun begins, because you know who'll be joining her in taking lessons next year, right?!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fKWF5MqX3dLsKahB-BVdybaxau6w8-xOyUl1xYLXfzg4MMLsJfSAkZ5t0FmyIYYU8XcsdT5vASFpV8grojeQWU4jbzfIgDCGTmDvbd-sFuGrkwR4-8Drj2bw_3Scet6EwPI_ZFKs4fI/s1600/IMG_3842.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479695575745498354" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fKWF5MqX3dLsKahB-BVdybaxau6w8-xOyUl1xYLXfzg4MMLsJfSAkZ5t0FmyIYYU8XcsdT5vASFpV8grojeQWU4jbzfIgDCGTmDvbd-sFuGrkwR4-8Drj2bw_3Scet6EwPI_ZFKs4fI/s320/IMG_3842.JPG" /></a><br /><br />On another note... Congratulations to <a href="http://babyporta.blogspot.com/">Dan, Megan & Elijah </a>on the arrival of Samson! Welcome to the wonderful world of a family of 4!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-74206890619833355872010-05-21T17:40:00.002-04:002010-05-21T17:51:07.071-04:00Vaeh's IEPWe had Miss Vaeh's IEP this morning, & it went well! Someone will be going to preschool 4 days a week next year, & getting some time with the PT once a week! Oh, & she'll be riding a school bus!! Guess that means I'm gonna have to cut the cord & let Gabie ride one, too:0/<br /><br />They said that basically she is caught up, but is still needing some "fine tuning" on a few things, like jumping, hopping & balance. So those will be some of the things they work on next year. She'll start back up in September & go through June of 2011... wow, that's just not right! 2011?!?! Geesh, where does time go?!<br /><br />As for Miss V now... well, we've been dealing with a fever, upset tummy & being sleepy. The sleepy part is affecting both of us:0/ Hopefully its just her 4 year molars coming in & nothing more. Her gums are looking quite white as if they are trying to come in, so hopefully that's all it is!<br /><br />Oh, & we got some great news this morning... the little guy that I've been babysitting for became a big brother this morning!!! Congrats Josh, Abbey & Noah on the arrival of Adalynn Elaine! She's beautiful... can't wait to meet her!<br /><br />Hope everyone has a great weekend!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-66583010673832725802010-05-18T15:33:00.008-04:002010-05-18T21:49:27.561-04:00Wow.Where to begin? I know that this is the longest I've gone without posting since I began this blog. Time seems to have gotten away from me. Life has taken over... in a good, "normal" way!<br /><br />The latest has been getting ready for Gabie's dance recital coming up the first weekend in June. She's so excited! Dance classes started back in the fall, just as she was starting school. The dance season is coming to an end & its prep time for recital. So we took photos of her & my cousin Leslie (who is in her 10th year of dance... congrats, Leslie!), & Miss V last week so we could put them in the program. Here's the three girls together. We just had to include Vaeh in the photos... she wanted to be a ballarina, too!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HOWPBSI4qbcjw3fSITZtoo9qjdP2dXJtdCF4GX_ZDLzRD-aLfiOiiG7nP-PvHoHcUQcrm_DnSVJjygXZb0quoZwdN4RJWG5-OWhYCaBrKDA1F3l98G3RogdngsaWlQ6VKYKiRzo6bc8/s1600/IMG_3843.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472705530639670178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HOWPBSI4qbcjw3fSITZtoo9qjdP2dXJtdCF4GX_ZDLzRD-aLfiOiiG7nP-PvHoHcUQcrm_DnSVJjygXZb0quoZwdN4RJWG5-OWhYCaBrKDA1F3l98G3RogdngsaWlQ6VKYKiRzo6bc8/s320/IMG_3843.JPG" /></a><br />Aren't they adorable?! I can't wait to see my little ballerina on stage! We're already planning for next year... two in dance class:0)<br /><br />Miss Gabie also had another big day... her first Daddy-Daughter Dance! Her school PTO put the event on. They had all sorts of little things for the girls to do like getting their finger nails painted, having "tattoos" put on, & all sorts of little trinkets. They also had a spot to have their photo taken, too! Then it was on to the dance floor! Gabie & Daddy danced to "Butterfly Kisses". Made me tear up - 'sniff, sniff'! She had a wonderful time, & Daddy did as well. She even had a pretty little corsage for the night...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNeBIcs_FMU4pLqhO1ibCusUvHbkRoDh-SKyJlng-yhc91m6C8pz_3rSLFY1P1f3t7Ef26NK2aw6ngNUAGt0RCRvjDh13X4GcU9j8kAg3rxT8-hfQos0-BGE5Ir1vstf_ba4SczFfdPw/s1600/IMG_3834.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472707583226242194" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNeBIcs_FMU4pLqhO1ibCusUvHbkRoDh-SKyJlng-yhc91m6C8pz_3rSLFY1P1f3t7Ef26NK2aw6ngNUAGt0RCRvjDh13X4GcU9j8kAg3rxT8-hfQos0-BGE5Ir1vstf_ba4SczFfdPw/s320/IMG_3834.JPG" /></a><br /><br />It pays to know people in the florist buisness ;0) ;0)!<br /><br />Then another big first happened for Miss Gabie... she lost her first tooth! I couldn't believe it. I went to pick her up that day from school, & here she came with a little baggie. "Mom, Mom, I pulled my tooth today!" WHAT?!?! Boy she's not my kid... I was the one that let them go until they hung on by a thread. Not Miss Gabie, she pulled it right out herself after lunch at school that day. So they gave her a cute little treasure chest to bring it home in. And of course, that night the "Mole-i-nator" showed up (aka the Tooth Fairy). She's called "him" that since she watched The Santa Clause 2. My, she's growing up way too fast! See the big hole the tooth left...<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nWx3xbse_qlHdbnmUu1lM86amg5ro5X6MQp_QH0b8C0IMM1Hw-wVc6twKIDWIQzgVVeJnZUry15-IFj0-q010TS2Re52eow9BbSFsICl3d1Us288Wh_G8SSYVmZO6WFJjL-hLAKOSk4/s1600/IMG_3837.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472707575823929938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nWx3xbse_qlHdbnmUu1lM86amg5ro5X6MQp_QH0b8C0IMM1Hw-wVc6twKIDWIQzgVVeJnZUry15-IFj0-q010TS2Re52eow9BbSFsICl3d1Us288Wh_G8SSYVmZO6WFJjL-hLAKOSk4/s320/IMG_3837.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br />Her permanent tooth is making its entrance, & in the process has helped the next tooth over loosen a bit! She can't wait for that one to come out, too!<br /><br />As for Miss Vaeh... she's having fun being a normal happy, healthy 3 year old! She really enjoys going to school on Monday, as well as seeing "Miss Barb" for therapy. Her school year is coming to an end (along with Gabie's) & so we have her IEP this Friday. From what her therapist tells me, there's a good possibility that she'll get a 'spot' in a classroom setting next year. Which means that both my girls will be in school! Vaeh would go Monday thru Thursday for about 2 and a half hours each day, plus therapy time in addition! I can't believe how fast time has flown! It seems just like yesterday we were freting over her upcoming surgery to complete the repair, & now its been 2 years (May 15th) that she's been fixed! Simply amazing that 2 years ago, this is what my baby girl looked like...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG5z_jEg6nHZ36Mjp3LWoDlZvuoAHO5TLLgBYQ15BxZigs1ZL3U9uNmYQLGoPnpKmf7ckcVzZaoUx0fIMHdU5KRWCq0_Zj5Sv1hKRhRx44dsglWU7dycfgAdPBDJH_uBfy5qJIaaHNPM/s1600/ohs3"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGG5z_jEg6nHZ36Mjp3LWoDlZvuoAHO5TLLgBYQ15BxZigs1ZL3U9uNmYQLGoPnpKmf7ckcVzZaoUx0fIMHdU5KRWCq0_Zj5Sv1hKRhRx44dsglWU7dycfgAdPBDJH_uBfy5qJIaaHNPM/s320/ohs3" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472787970085570690" /></a><br /><br />And just look at her now!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTBgsTGmu0pm1B5UnjV9E6iNvKQvUE1vWCoJ1nCLQHeoio1NSz7G5dv2dc2hNYxiuFjdYqoPJvTw7MqnYCjZoCuVpjoHyZNWmHBAnusIjtKVdeXGvwC5JVwbDJFQDKLjA5CfV_cTC5zs/s1600/IMG_3733.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTBgsTGmu0pm1B5UnjV9E6iNvKQvUE1vWCoJ1nCLQHeoio1NSz7G5dv2dc2hNYxiuFjdYqoPJvTw7MqnYCjZoCuVpjoHyZNWmHBAnusIjtKVdeXGvwC5JVwbDJFQDKLjA5CfV_cTC5zs/s320/IMG_3733.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472790119329994098" /></a><br />(*PS - Jen - that card she is holding is the Valentine y'all sent her! She loved it & carried it around for nearly a month! Gabie had been getting birthday cards in the mail, so it really made her day that SHE got mail!)<br /><br />Overall we're doing really well. Things are tight, but who doesn't have that problem these days?! I'm trying to add another kiddo to my babysitting list, other than the one that will be arriving this Friday to her Momma & Daddy! (Congrats Josh, Abbey & Noah... we can't wait to meet her!) Just trying to live life to the fullest! This is the first summer that we won't have to worry about going outside to play... Miss Vaeh is doing quite a good job of keeping up with her big sister!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-88391943118693455092010-03-23T09:42:00.004-04:002010-03-23T10:26:24.292-04:00Redonkulous"Redonkulous." That's the only way I can describe my lack of blogging lately. Can you tell that the girls have been watching "Bolt" lately? Vaeh's been going around saying "that's redonkulous" here lately, & if you've every seen "Bolt" you will recognize that from the pigeons! She's becoming such a chatter box here lately, taking after her big sister!<br /><br />Things have been pretty status quo here lately, as far as the girls go. Vaeh has a bit of a cough & runny nose, but that's par for the course, & will probably hang around until the weather improves a bit. We've once again brought out our trusty friend the nebulizer to keep things in check. I'm keeping a really close eye on her though, RSV seems to be rearing its ugly head again:0/<br /><br />Things were quite busy here at the beginning of March as well. My Aunt's Mother-in-law had been very ill, spending a lot of time between different hospitals & eventually in a local nursing home as they were unable to accurately diagnose her. They finally decided to bring her home in early February as things weren't looking very promising. The first week of March, she passed away so we were busy helping their family out.<br /><br />Now that the weather is getting nicer (at least it had been getting nicer... we're back into cooler, wetter days here for now) we've been getting out & about more. Vaeh loves being able to go outside & play with her older sister! I'm going to be spending a lot of time out doors this summer!<br /><br />I've been wanting to post some photos, but for some reason I haven't been able to. Either blogger or my computer haven't let me... that, or they're conspiring against me! (LoL) I gave it another shot today, but with an older photo. Here is Miss Vaeh back in February of 2007, while she was still in the hospital recovering after her first open heart. You can see she still had her NG tube at that point. She was a few weeks shy of turning 5 months old in this photo. (Sorry about the quality, its off of our phone.) Even back then, she was a spitfire! Here she is making faces at Mawmaw during one of our many visits!<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRkV1Tmu-AfxWIc6oFF_lwLyKj8w_7_nHuUjLqjffM2HQ1hxtl_hrp7r1_LU-YDK4Fbpd00V7VBfDVzd6abdnI699JqJdg2VuCKOAFRDV_6LFoaCAthVdOUJ0FD0zolLDNMCliIm9_CI/s1600-h/020307_15201.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5451826806452867506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRkV1Tmu-AfxWIc6oFF_lwLyKj8w_7_nHuUjLqjffM2HQ1hxtl_hrp7r1_LU-YDK4Fbpd00V7VBfDVzd6abdnI699JqJdg2VuCKOAFRDV_6LFoaCAthVdOUJ0FD0zolLDNMCliIm9_CI/s320/020307_15201.jpg" /></a> She was about 3 and a half weeks from coming home in this picture. Boy were those crazy days. I wondered more often than not back in those days what our outcome would be. Looking at her now, I know that we're blessed indeed!</p><p>Hope you are all doing well! I should get going... we're watching "Hannah Montana" again for about the 500th time! (LoL)<br /><br /></p>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-7501438652382233362010-02-23T21:19:00.002-05:002010-02-23T21:37:23.048-05:00Good visit:0)Monday's visit with Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span> went pretty good. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span> couldn't wait to "see Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span>!" But actually I think she was much more excited to see the echo room... & her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">bestest</span> friend - gel!!<br /><br />When we arrived, the girls were all in disbelief of how big <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span> has gotten! Its been 3 months since she was there last. Since November, she's gained a pound and a half, & grown 3/4 of an inch! I assured them that her attitude is growing with her body;0)! It was so cute to see her say "hi" to everyone!<br /><br />We, of course, had to have our usual round of bubble-blowing while waiting our turn for the echo. She just loves bubbles, & a while back they were the only way to keep her semi-calm during her visits. So the girls all know that "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Nevaeh</span> likes her bubbles!"<br /><br />I'll bet she asked about a dozen times before we finally made it, but the common question of the day was "I go play with gel now?" I was so very thankful when we did make it to the room, as the technician we had is the best at this particular office!! I had even said a quick "please, Lord" for Megan to be working today. Again I have to say, "don't tell me prayer doesn't work!!" (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">LoL</span>) Once in the echo room, we met Brad. He was a young man doing a clinical rotation in his training to become an echo technician... and he was great with <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span>!! You could tell by the way he interacted with her that he is very good with kids!!<br /><br />So, during the echo as Megan is explaining different things to Brad (cause you know <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span> is just so straight forward... HA!!) Megan became Miss V's personal gel supplier! We took the approach of "if it keeps her happy, lets go with it." Lets just say by the time they were finished with the echo, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span> had gel from fingertip to fingertip, chin to stomach! Of course, I was too <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">engrossed</span> in the actual echo to remember to take pictures of her... maybe next visit.<br /><br />Speaking of the next visit, we get to wait - are you ready? ... 4 MONTHS!!! Maybe we'll be able to make it to 6 month visits yet:0) Her pressures are again unchanged, so we're status <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">quo</span> on everything for right now. Dr. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Butto</span> mentioned that he was considering decreasing her <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">revatio</span>, but since there wasn't any change (or lowering) in the pressure, that we would just kinda leave things where they are for right now. It made me feel good knowing that long term, he is looking to get her off the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">meds</span>, just not ready yet. I did ask him about the possibility of a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">cath</span> to <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">stent</span> & he said that its really not an option at this point. So for right now, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">meds</span> are the path we need to take!<br /><br />So, we just have to sit back & enjoy life for the next 4 months until our next "date" with the good doctor! Her next appointment is June 28<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">th</span>, so summer... here we come!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-85240001633426653562010-02-22T08:16:00.002-05:002010-02-22T08:20:36.051-05:00Quick note...We are headed to the cardiologist's office this morning for Vaeh's appointment. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a regularly scheduled appointment. Just the same, I'm a bit nervous about it. Her last appointment, her RV pressures hadn't changed any with the same dose of medication. I'm sure you all know how a heart momma's mind wanders.... does she need a cath? Does this mean she'll need another surgery? It never ends, huh?!<br /><br />I know everything is just fine, but at this point I think its more habbit to worry:0/ I'm just ready to go in & hear the good news, that she's right on track! Don't worry all, I promise an update as soon as I can this afternoon!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-61884872706968080822010-02-14T22:21:00.003-05:002010-02-14T22:32:11.994-05:00Prayers for Miss Emma<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0sqiEixK89pcLXuF_9jXEgzlTKUA2wc_JWlDQdpwerDX215aEEgqImsc6vPiwaenSkBVGNYo-vOXz3cD0oELrBbcS8_aupRj-CIsNEo4CMBfiAieNDiW4THsbitlDlQ0rCn0BlqNj6c/s1600-h/emma.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 150px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438305246116907394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0sqiEixK89pcLXuF_9jXEgzlTKUA2wc_JWlDQdpwerDX215aEEgqImsc6vPiwaenSkBVGNYo-vOXz3cD0oELrBbcS8_aupRj-CIsNEo4CMBfiAieNDiW4THsbitlDlQ0rCn0BlqNj6c/s320/emma.jpg" /></a><br /><div>This is one of our "heart" friends, Miss Emma. She & her Momma - Wendy, have been a big support to us along our journey through this CHD world. When I was checking my email tonight, I noticed an update on <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmanicole">Emma's caringbridge page</a>. It was unusual, because there were two updates... not typical for Wendy. </div><div> </div><div>The above picture is one I saw when I checked in. Miss Emma has been admitted to the hospital with viral pneumonia & RSV. From what her page says, she has an elevated heart rate, she's lethargic, & has a temp of 106!! Friends, she is one sick little girl!</div><div> </div><div>Please join with me in lifting this wonderful little girl up in your prayers! You can also go <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmanicole/guestbook">here</a> to leave them a message! </div>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-60257195005224777962010-02-12T10:06:00.006-05:002010-02-12T11:08:12.735-05:00I'm terrible :0(I'm such a slacker here lately! There's been so much going on & I've really put this blog on the back burner. I have tried to post a couple of times, but for some reason it wouldn't let me upload any photos. So, I got mad & gave up on the post. I've really wanted to share some great pics of the girls, but it still won't let me upload anything, except for one picture...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj517vPytPm3_4Nbno0XCF5sAWU_dZIAzIhSw7Eh7laP5NpQqZpQnXZ3W0cOAyKojdHnojGMDYL4BiTlzFH9dJMqLFI3zLqqgsem-Th7A0VqwC30qpW6WdVnpUY3-sx5GXkmsWXvhsPB-w/s1600-h/family.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 236px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437378941235177922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj517vPytPm3_4Nbno0XCF5sAWU_dZIAzIhSw7Eh7laP5NpQqZpQnXZ3W0cOAyKojdHnojGMDYL4BiTlzFH9dJMqLFI3zLqqgsem-Th7A0VqwC30qpW6WdVnpUY3-sx5GXkmsWXvhsPB-w/s320/family.jpg" /></a><br />This is from Gabie's birthday party! Its the only pic that this silly computer has let me upload, & I'm glad I've gotten this one up. In the front, you see Gabie sitting on my sister April's lap. Then behind her (l to r) is Amber my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">SIL</span> holding my nephew Austin, my brother Keith, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span>, Jon & I. This was the first time I had met Amber & Austin. I hadn't seen my brother Keith since I was pregnant with Gabie, & hadn't had the opportunity to meet his wife until that night. Boy was I glad for <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span> in this situation!!<br /><br />I found my brother & <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">SIL</span> on <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Facebook</span> a while back. So when I started planning Gabie's birthday party, I invited them to the party. Much to my delight, they accepted the invite & came for the festivities!! I was elated to have them here & to finally meet Amber & Austin! The whole family situation on my paternal side is, shall we say... quite mixed up! But, thankfully we were able to spend some time together & are planning another get together when the weather is nicer & hopefully can get all 4 of us (I have 2 brothers & a sister) together. I'm really excited about it!<br /><br />In other news, Miss Gabie is now 6!! My baby girl is growing up way too fast! And for those of you who "know us", you may have noticed 'Gabie' is spelled differently. Well, that would be thanks to the mind of said 6 year old. She had mentioned it before, but never really <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">pursued</span> the matter until her birthday. She asked "Mommy, why do you spell Gabby with 2 '<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">b's</span>' & a 'y'? My name only has one 'b' & no '<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">y's</span>'." So, based on the (very intuitive) logic of my 6 year old, we are now spelling it "Gabie." Quite smart if you ask her Momma;0)<br /><br />As for Miss <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh</span>, well she's just enjoying life & being a normal 3 year old!! She's actually been quite 'healthy' this winter, short of the typical sniffle/cold. I'm so thankful that we haven't had any major health issues with her this year. Its so nice to just be 'normal' - if anyone knows what that really is (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">LoL</span>)! She has an upcoming cardiology appointment in a little over a week & I'm curious to see how things look. We all know the worries of a heart momma. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">Vaeh's</span> been having some tired spells, & its so hard to decipher if its just normal growing spurts, being tired from a cold or something heart related. Its not significant, so I'm pretty sure its just 'normal', but all the same I'm still curious!<br /><br />Now on to me. I'm sure most folks know, but I had yet another surgery a week ago. I had my gallbladder taken out. I'm finally starting to feel back on track, but am still a little sore. Thankfully, it was done <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">laprascopically</span>, so I was home that night. The sites from the surgery are still a bit tender, but overall I'm feeling much better.<br /><br />Hope everyone is having a great week. In honor of <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">CHD</span> Awareness week, I saw this on a fellow heart <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">momma's</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">facebook</span> status & just had to borrow it (thanks, <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/averibudde">Staci</a>!).<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUddSr-tYK4QmBa27ELkBDu4g0ph-W6Og_qXTiBZ45BrThWCm_v9w87q20gSI2j0ddCnCf8xbSU4cAVfhcQ42HfMHZx0vkgQVOKOzIjXw7dKcldwkus-h8CgoQR6z6GXOCL26XrojgGA/s1600-h/vaeh.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437388428585479298" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUddSr-tYK4QmBa27ELkBDu4g0ph-W6Og_qXTiBZ45BrThWCm_v9w87q20gSI2j0ddCnCf8xbSU4cAVfhcQ42HfMHZx0vkgQVOKOzIjXw7dKcldwkus-h8CgoQR6z6GXOCL26XrojgGA/s320/vaeh.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">A zipper scar upon my chest</div><br /><div align="center">for all the world to see</div><br /><div align="center">that congenital heart disease</div><br /><div align="center">has not beat me!</div><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="left">Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, & Happy <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">CHD</span> Awareness day from all of us! (oh, Happy Valentine's Day, too! ;0)</div>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-65785567338490377282010-01-15T08:30:00.009-05:002010-01-15T12:45:27.630-05:00One year ago...I can hardly believe it. After Nevaeh was born, I was so unsure of many things. Will she live? Will she see her first birthday? Second, third? Will she be able to do "normal" things? Will she eat?! She's met all of those milestones & so many more in the past year. But this milestone was one of those that I never thought she'd meet. That makes it so much more sweet!<br /><br />One year ago today, Vaeh was in this room...<br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblZtnuPTYf84zdJMtEsOw2DWuA6B4aGvdgxvReQx-iGXJeUgQBFNehOUm3x3hbRkWhvrCsRlKK1MO8084tRotZTMUFE4sOIHqMj21D-YwK0kOjazSwJ8M6jVmBHHg8X2wHm7IakZQLJM/s1600-h/IMG_2133.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292027919834663634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblZtnuPTYf84zdJMtEsOw2DWuA6B4aGvdgxvReQx-iGXJeUgQBFNehOUm3x3hbRkWhvrCsRlKK1MO8084tRotZTMUFE4sOIHqMj21D-YwK0kOjazSwJ8M6jVmBHHg8X2wHm7IakZQLJM/s320/IMG_2133.JPG" /></a><br /><br />That was one of those days you really don't want to live, but when it was over I was sooooo happy!! Here's Miss V just before she went into the cath lab... feeling a little bit loopy!<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291749973964909794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdbXkCSciHInNxEQrcNPWEE1GboGDvPi1pR7bYuvOBxccqsJR4GPu3LiscG8F8xyQz5hOEvrMgbx9xH3H58RoiZVNV9h2KqapcoTjQyySWU_ep6VT2gKYz7OMZLmEXhJeBz8S_DpBFwA/s320/IMG_2129.JPG" /><br /><br />The result of all those hours of hard work in that room... no more oxygen & no more orange tinted plastic sitting under her nose (ie: cannula)!!<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMGfECh9njfk-uRi_zx-5DFrwgz-WGi4CC7Hd5Xlt_JtZAK2FPVsgW_D2AqjlkW8Rz300rfbZiJAiVioqeaCCmLWkQ5K5vf6QOR-_INF6atx84k5B27eusbzhHT1JbJMWK6loZMG51aY/s1600-h/IMG_2152.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5291759925473026850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMGfECh9njfk-uRi_zx-5DFrwgz-WGi4CC7Hd5Xlt_JtZAK2FPVsgW_D2AqjlkW8Rz300rfbZiJAiVioqeaCCmLWkQ5K5vf6QOR-_INF6atx84k5B27eusbzhHT1JbJMWK6loZMG51aY/s320/IMG_2152.JPG" /> </a><br />She looked so strange for a few days following the cath without our friend, Mr. Cannula! She had had it for so long that it was like a part of her was missing. Believe me, though, we got used to the new Vaeh REALLY easy! <p></p><br /><br />Not only did she loose her oxygen tubing, but we lost another "thorn in our side" with this...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQRqNQLs4KjsOeh4OvzWXqsNRGOtAyulkktXwJy0ltX09Ug8zxYa067VYlXZoZpFsjXZKNm6tI2fLEiFzw-vPc1GXRIXlc_XeS-FXwqNCdz-jS89O6RNAwcFQh_ioawZLTvLZrgVrWu4/s1600-h/IMG_2176.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292026811740590322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQRqNQLs4KjsOeh4OvzWXqsNRGOtAyulkktXwJy0ltX09Ug8zxYa067VYlXZoZpFsjXZKNm6tI2fLEiFzw-vPc1GXRIXlc_XeS-FXwqNCdz-jS89O6RNAwcFQh_ioawZLTvLZrgVrWu4/s320/IMG_2176.JPG" /></a><br />Yep. She also lost her Mic-key button in that trip to the hospital! This was one of her very first completely "tubeless" photos! That was another dream that I never thought would come true... Vaeh being tubeless. The docs, & therapist even, made us feel as though she would never eat by mouth because of all the complications she'd had as a baby. Well, true to form, Miss Vaeh showed them to expect the unexpected when it comes to her!<br /><br />Its still hard to believe, sitting here typing this post, that we've made it an ENTIRE YEAR without any type of surgical intervention! Now, our next milestones are to get rid of all her meds & possibly go longer than 3 months without seeing the cardiologist. Maybe?!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-366878546990160572010-01-13T13:24:00.004-05:002010-01-13T13:43:31.005-05:00Meet Maddi:0)There is a little girl I'd like to introduce to you all. She is a precious little girl, who is part of our little "club", which is how I met her & her Momma. Meet <a href="http://maddisonford.blogspot.com/">Maddi</a>...<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fmK7MIVdT_KnZl3OqVEmSphHOxwdeMVPP-xXymtiUYPSkKb6_TYtv7u650oksE-a4Puz4qFvF6xv0EtAWlermVtS_tI_5aErIEITrF92mq3bINTet9Q7csH2zqQ2F9Eshv655g1Snr0/s1600-h/Halloween2009.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 263px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426294832831382482" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fmK7MIVdT_KnZl3OqVEmSphHOxwdeMVPP-xXymtiUYPSkKb6_TYtv7u650oksE-a4Puz4qFvF6xv0EtAWlermVtS_tI_5aErIEITrF92mq3bINTet9Q7csH2zqQ2F9Eshv655g1Snr0/s320/Halloween2009.jpg" /></a><br />Isn't she a cutie pie?!! Maddi has ToFw/PA, MAPCA's, as well as duodenal atresia & reflux. She had her first open heart back in August of '09, as well as a couple of heart caths. In addition to the heart related surgeries, Maddi has had surgery to correct her duodenal atresia, as well as a G-tube placed & the Nissen. From what I've learned about Miss Maddi, she is a very complicated case of tet. </p><p>Just recently, Maddi went in for a follow up visit. According to her Momma's posts on her <a href="http://www.carepages.com/carepages/MaddisonLeighFord">carepage</a>, Miss Maddi has been given a grim prognosis. The docs are telling them that Maddi will most likely not make it past 5 years of age, unless she has a heart-lung transplant. Even with that, she doesn't have very long. <sigh>:0(</p><p>I cannot even imagine what a roller coaster this family is on right now. I know they are looking into their options. More importantly, they are trusting in God. Would you all please join me in lifting this beautiful little girl & her family up in prayer?! I'm sure they'd appreciate it.<br /></p>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-55421471360274058702010-01-10T22:45:00.003-05:002010-01-10T22:51:41.713-05:00Stuffies:0(This really stinks. Up to this point, Miss V has been having a fairly good year as far as not being sick. That all changed this past Thursday night/Friday morning.<br /><br />She started sounding a little stuffed up, so we broke out our friendly neighborhood nebulizer. Then I gave her a dose of benadryl (since that's the only thing she can have) when I gave her her revatio. She woke up, so we sat in the living room until about midnight. She got me up around 2 AM with a VERY stuffed up nose. Thankfully I was able to get her back to sleep & let her sleep in (Gabby had a 2 hour delay because of snow).<br /><br />The waterworks started on Friday afternoon/evening. Her nose was running & her eyes are both watering. Saturday morning she woke up with both eyes matted shut & a nose that could not be "un-stuffed". Poor kiddo:0( She's so congested that she's snoring like her Daddy (LoL)!<br />She is even trying to blow her nose, but nothing is coming out. No fun, I tell ya! She did sound a bit better tonight when I put her down. I'm hoping she sleeps through the night... for both our sakes!<br /><br />Hope everyone else is doing well & staying healthy. I love this snow, but I'm hoping they have the forcast right. A little bit warmer would be nice!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-47874098093113452412010-01-05T11:46:00.007-05:002010-01-06T16:29:38.274-05:00Life is good:0)Wow. Have I been a HUGE blogging slacker or what?!?! I hope you all can forgive me... life has finally been good for us here! All except for my short stint in the ER, but we'll get to that in a minute. I've just been busy enjoying having Gabby here all day since she was on Christmas break & we were just being "normal" (okay, you can stop snickering now;0)<br /><br />Here's a look at what we've been up to...<br /><br /><embed height="382" name="FLVPlayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="408" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=" flashvars="&p=a1e96b7ae43ee84a10e273&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" salign="LT" wmode="transparent" scale="noscale" quality="high"></embed><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 408px; FONT: 12px/20px verdana, arial, sans-serif"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt0" target="_blank">Make photo slide shows at <span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div><br /><br />The girls had a great time this year during the entire "Christam", as Vaeh would say, season. It's been really fun seeing the girls interact with each other, as well as Miss V really getting the whole idea this year. That & the fact that we don't have to deal with this anymore...<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFR2Hp6GKUkv_hePJmNtgUmycnmEXYzYEAvXdu2oFscfrvfhyBrm4AR121E3O2gEOcR9EALg370tVxTDPuVMoDs6YNyjtD6t-YcHKVA9eYMJi5MhBdHPy9RQ3pW1LglqA-YoBuVqVHOw/s1600-h/IMG_2127.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5423327516001938290" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFR2Hp6GKUkv_hePJmNtgUmycnmEXYzYEAvXdu2oFscfrvfhyBrm4AR121E3O2gEOcR9EALg370tVxTDPuVMoDs6YNyjtD6t-YcHKVA9eYMJi5MhBdHPy9RQ3pW1LglqA-YoBuVqVHOw/s320/IMG_2127.JPG" /></a><br /><br />I really don't miss that orange-tinged plastic tube running across her face.</p><p>The girls were really cute opening their presents! Gabby wasn't shy at all... she tore right into them. Vaeh on the other hand, savored every tear of the paper! Jon had to tell her several times to keep going. Gabby had all of her presents opened & then even helped Vaeh with hers!<br /><br />We had a wonderful few days together as a family since Jon was home half the day on Christmas Eve & didn't have to return to work until Sunday night. The same went for New Year's eve! Now the day after Christmas wasn't so much fun. I'm vowing right now that next year we will not go near a doctor's office or hospital from the end of October until at least February!! I woke up around 5:30AM on Saturday with pain all across my upper stomach & across my back about shoulder blade height. So, after about 3 hours, I decided I needed to go to the ER. If you guessed 'gallbladder' you are absolutely correct!! Ding, ding, ding!!! Thankfully the attack ended & they gave me some nice painkillers, but... it needs to come out:0( So, again I have to have surgery. Not sure when yet as I haven't seen the surgeon, but I'm hoping its sooner rather than later. It really isn't any fun feeling lousy every time you eat:0/<br /><br />So, other than my lovely gallbladder, everyone here is doing well. We're all looking forward to a brand new year & things to keep going better & better for our family! Hope everyone else is have a great start to 2010!<br /><br />** I promise to try to be a better blogger!</p>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-90308888691090345952009-12-10T17:17:00.004-05:002009-12-10T17:54:30.668-05:00"Poopy Dance"Now you're all in trouble!! Now that I've figured out how to post things, I'm going to be a blogging madwoman... mwahahahaha! (just kidding;0) I've been trying to post this for what seems like weeks now! When I first started potty training, Vaeh did really well with the tinkle part of it, but the other... not so well. There were two things I had going for me: 1.) she loved to flush (LoL), & 2.) she liked to do the afore mentioned "poppy dance!" Well, it took a couple of weeks, but Vaeh is now completely potty trained (minus a few slight accidents here & there;0) So, the trick to getting her to go "poppy" was...<br />(make sure you pause the music so you can hear her;0)<br /><br /><embed height="382" name="FLVPlayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" width="408" src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=" quality="high" scale="noscale" wmode="transparent" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=989d9de1ea5583f3b80490&skin_id=701&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com"></embed> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; PADDING-BOTTOM: 15px; MARGIN: 0px; WIDTH: 408px; FONT: 12px/20px verdana, arial, sans-serif"><a style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt4" target="_blank">Make an on-line slideshow at <span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div><br /><br />Isn't she just the cutest?! I just love it every time she does it! I think it looks even cuter in the video, too!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-56253050445461641492009-12-10T15:29:00.005-05:002009-12-10T16:07:39.754-05:00YES!!!!!!!<div align="left">I don't know what I did differently, but whatever it was... it worked! I finally was able to upload pictures - WOOHOO!!! I got to poking around & found pictures that were directly on the computer vs. in a program & they uploaded. Almost to easily... None the less, they're up! </div><div align="left"><br />Here's Miss Vaeh's orthotics - she's had them for a couple of months now & I'm amazed at the difference they made! She started walking much straighter & doing so much better with jumping & going up/down steps just by putting them on. Her therapists were tickled at how much they helped, too! So finally, here's a couple of pictures of what they look like...<br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWx0vDSps7OiCwJGsfNaIc8e0cfqW8NH0j2i0xYWG-a6tPf8XI7v9f-g6jdXmgvwfzlbgQP_wPWeA6AzQCB6rTGq2crGJ9adhGIRWJdUr0NdiccwcEF63aoRqym1veu3Llzt9JqCT6Ik/s1600-h/IMG_3489.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413708613455057282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVWx0vDSps7OiCwJGsfNaIc8e0cfqW8NH0j2i0xYWG-a6tPf8XI7v9f-g6jdXmgvwfzlbgQP_wPWeA6AzQCB6rTGq2crGJ9adhGIRWJdUr0NdiccwcEF63aoRqym1veu3Llzt9JqCT6Ik/s320/IMG_3489.JPG" /></a> <p align="center">SMO(supramalleolar orthosis) & UCB (submalleolar)<br /></p><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PiJ7gMhaqqQFfMsnb_1ui66o0M7ETjFNWvW3CDV4p4v1ORBgX0nNnLSTScN1HUvJHDKBPgQN2_cTiOj7l-5JNrWEgnWW4zCycN26K5t1hX2hxxKZWYhEz-sWyL6e2HodnuTFMm_hW88/s1600-h/IMG_3492.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413708638955194754" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PiJ7gMhaqqQFfMsnb_1ui66o0M7ETjFNWvW3CDV4p4v1ORBgX0nNnLSTScN1HUvJHDKBPgQN2_cTiOj7l-5JNrWEgnWW4zCycN26K5t1hX2hxxKZWYhEz-sWyL6e2HodnuTFMm_hW88/s320/IMG_3492.JPG" /></a> The back view<br /></p><div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p_UFsO3EiC7MWNbaWCx138TZuUBTiAiiZXmj9FHlXt544XapLj5Fm0yrk54HUBBd0lt27d_cMZ1u5NlivTKmxjn1S0PB1Jlg9CvJo4Oe08I1e0UCJnbnen2wMi4pUjzMc28jIRPeLYw/s1600-h/IMG_3486.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413708624747044434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p_UFsO3EiC7MWNbaWCx138TZuUBTiAiiZXmj9FHlXt544XapLj5Fm0yrk54HUBBd0lt27d_cMZ1u5NlivTKmxjn1S0PB1Jlg9CvJo4Oe08I1e0UCJnbnen2wMi4pUjzMc28jIRPeLYw/s320/IMG_3486.JPG" /></a> The SMO - this is to give her more stability.</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">We had to get her a pair of shoes that were 2 sizes too big to accommodate the brace & give her a little room to grow. The purple thing on the front of the brace is a "toe spreader" & it helps to keep her toes down flat vs. curling like the tend to do. It all works together to make her more stable & to help her strengthen. They really seem to be doing the trick, too! She's running around like a crazy little 3 year old... just what I've always wanted! </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Her therapists tell me that there's a good chance that the SMO can be cut down to a UCB in the future as she gets stronger & that there's even a chance she won't need them eventually!! How awesome would that be?!?! She goes back in February to have them checked to see if they need adjusted because she's grown. I'm sure they'll have to make some changes. About 2 weeks after she originally got them, we went back up to have them put a toe spreader on the left & the orthotist said "she's grown already"... ugh! Oh well, its a good thing we got the shoes so big!! </div>Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-72769067654223632982009-12-04T13:15:00.010-05:002009-12-05T21:03:19.717-05:00December 5th...Three years ago today, Jon & I had to do the hardest thing that any parent ever has to do for their child. It was around 7AM... she was the first case of the day, so we were up quite early to be at the hospital. She had already been in the hospital for the three weeks leading up to this day due to pneumonia/CHF.<br /><br />I had to keep my emotions in check... otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see her through the tears. That, & I had to keep Jon from punching one of the phlebotomists - another story;0) We were able to spend about a half an hour with her before, & were even able to pray over her before we took "the walk"...<br /><br />When they said "its time" my heart sank even further than it was already sitting. I didn't want to let her out of my arms. I thought "maybe if I just hold her a little longer..." thinking that I would finally wake up from the nightmare that I had been living for the previous 2 months. We walked out of the PCTU (where they had admitted her from Toledo a couple of days before) and out to the elevator. I think that was both the shortest & longest elevator ride of my life! When the doors opened up on the 2nd floor, I think MY heart skipped a beat knowing that it was time. A nurse & the anesthesiologist were both there & gave me that "look". Even though every fiber of my being wanted nothing but to run out the door & take her home, I knew I had to hand her off to them.<br /><br />She was somewhat groggy as they had given her versed to calm her before. I gave her one last squeeze & handed her to the nurse. Of course, they gave me that look of understanding & reassurance that she would be well cared for. Then the next leg of the long walk to the waiting room. Thankfully we had plenty of family there with us which helped pass the time until the first update. By now it was about 7:30. The next 3 hours were the longest of my life. The physician's assistant came in to give us the first update. I was both relieved & scared to death at the same time. What were they going to say? Was she doing okay or was there a complication? "They've gotten all her lines started & are preparing to put her on bypass now. We'll be back with another update in about an hour."<br /><br />Of course it was longer than an hour, but they did come back with the update that things were going well. In the end, Dr. Bove told us that he wasn't comfortable with completing her full repair as he had originally hoped, so he had unifocalized her collateral arteries & placed a modified BT shunt. Then he told us that her next surgery would be in about 6 months. Not exactly what I had wanted to hear... another surgery... but she had come through & was stable. Thank God!<br /><br />Then the next traumatic event of her/our journey down this road... seeing her afterward. One of her nurses from Toledo had tried to prepare us for what she would look like after the surgery. "She's going to look like someone took a baseball bat to her." The night before, her nurse had taken us around to see some of the other little one's on the unit that had already had surgery as a way to prepare us. Thankfully she didn't look that bad. Aside from the long incision down her little chest, the ET tube & ventilator breathing for her, all of the IV pumps, lines, etc., she looked "good." Another hurdle jumped. If we'd only known how many hoops she would have to go through over the next three months...<br /><br />Vaeh remained on the ventilator for a total of 14 days, with a 3 day break in the middle. She had come off of it initially, but had to be re-intubated because her lungs were still weak from the bout of pneumonia before the surgery. She spent a total of 5 weeks at the University of Michigan/ C.S.Mott Children's Hospital before she was transferred back to The Toledo Hospital for another 6 weeks before she would be able to come home. She had many life threatening complications after that first open heart & was able to come home. It was one of the hardest times in my life, & despite having to see my daughter endure so much in her young life, I wouldn't change any of it. Because without all the trials over the past 3 1/2 years, we wouldn't have this little beauty with us!<br /><br />Thank you all for supporting us through this journey. Its great to have such a wonderul group of people on your side! Happy 3rd heart anniversary, Vaeh!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8324377882886503906.post-61840535617445732062009-12-03T21:05:00.002-05:002009-12-03T21:26:17.671-05:00UGH!!!Is anyone else having trouble uploading video to blogger? I've been trying to upload the (in my opinion) cutest video of Miss V & I can't:0( I've tried blogger & one true media, neither of which will let me do anything! I can't even upload a photo... <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">AAAAAGHH</span>!!! HELP!!!!<br /><br />On another note... where's my snow?!?!?! I'm sure many of you think I'm crazy, but I like snow during the Christmas season. Once Christmas is passed, it can go away & warm up to around the mid 50's. But for right now I WANT SNOW!!!! (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">LoL</span>) If its going to cool down, the least it can do is give me a pretty winter wonderland to admire!<br /><br />Hope everyone is doing well! I'm working on sending out my Christmas cards, so if your address has changed since last year, please send me an update!Tina:0)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10260215878769244185noreply@blogger.com6